Adult temporal mobility (2002-2010) in material wealth and physical health, self-perceived health, sociality, and use of addictive substances: Insights from an observational exploratory panel study among Tsimane’ Indigenous People in the Bolivian Amazon

Changes in relative socioeconomic rank during adulthood (intragenerational mobility) are increasingly recognized as important determinants of health and other well-being indicators. Quantitative studies in high-income countries find that mobility in rank generally correlates with these outcomes, but the direction and mechanisms remain unclear. Evidence from small-scale societies is scarcer due to limited panel data. We examine the correlation between mobility and well-being indicators among 350 Tsimane’ adults (age≥16y: women=184; men=166) in the Bolivian Amazon, using nine consecutive years of panel data (2002–2010). Guided by four theories (dissociation [any mobility harms], socialization [people adapt to any new rank], “falling from grace” [extreme downward mobility harms], and set-point [“effects” are temporary]) we assess how changes in quintile rank of material wealth correlate with four aspects of well-being in 2010: physical health, perceived health, sociality, and use of addictive substances. Results showed partial support for each theory and revealed that upward and downward mobility each correlated with a mix of favorable (e.g., lower likelihood of being overweight, greater food satisfaction) and unfavorable (e.g., increased anger) indicators. Importantly, mobility was not associated with most outcomes, lending support to set-point theory and highlighting that any mobility could correlate with tradeoffs in health and other well-being indicators. In sum, as in high-income countries, our findings reveal heterogeneity and ambiguities, and the need for a new theory that acknowledges the simultaneous gains and losses that correlate with socioeconomic mobility.